The big star of the show…
Ginger, a powerful digestive and antioxidant, is also known as Sunthi or Vishwabheshaja in Sanskrit – the universal medicine that benefits everyone and all diseases. Mighty in Ayurveda and mighty in the realm of scientific research!
Here are the Ayurvedic qualities of Ginger:
Rasa (taste) Pungent, Sweet
Virya (energy) Heating: fresh is warming, dry is hot
Vipaka (post-digestive effect) Sweet
Guna (quality) Fresh: unctuous* and heavy; Dry: light and penetrating
Actions on the doshas: – Vata and Kapha; + Pitta
*Unctuous is the term Snigdha in Ayurveda. Medicinals that are snigdha are moistening, strengthening, and increase vitality and kapha. The elements water and earth make up snigdha and this has a demulcent effect on the tissues. Unctuous foods are usually sweet, heavy and contain a high content of essential fatty acids (e.g. Sesame seeds and ghee are unctuous). They also have benefits of warming (increasing agni and digestion), nourishing the body’s organs, and clearing up complexion.
Powerful Medicinal Properties
When using ginger medicinally, think digestion, lungs, and joints. Let’s look at those and other realms in which ginger infiltrates and nourishes.
Colds: We all know ginger to be at the top of the list when it comes to taking care of a cold. But why and how? Because ginger is very effective at clearing ama (or toxins)* from the body! It increases circulation throughout the body and causes vasodilation, which makes us sweat things out. In the realm of having a cold, it clears ama specifically from the blood.
Arthritis: Ginger is ama-clearing, slesaka kapha-reducing, toxin digesting, and anti-inflammatory (Sebatian Pole, 2006). Compounds 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol in ginger decrease inflammation by inhibiting the activity of prostaglandins. This is what NSAIDs do to alleviate pain.
Lungs: Clears phlegm in kapha–vata conditions. Its effect on circulation, causes the constitution of the body to warm up, loosening up mucus and relieving feelings of cold/pain for individuals who are Kapha or Vata.
Digestion: Ginger warms the digestive system as well, kindling agni and digestive enzymes. Ginger can also be good for stimulating people who are generally of low energy or tend to be more Kapha. Feeling sluggish or slow because you’re on your third try at quitting deliciously addictive coffee? Try having some fresh ginger tea in the morning to wake up your senses…in a good way. Sick and tired of not digesting your food properly? Combine fresh ginger slices with salt and lime juice, let sit, and eat this before gobbling down your next meal (can be added on top of meals like a relish as well).
*We will go into full throttle detail about ama (or toxins) once we start to descend into Vata season (October to February). Be on the lookout for our upcoming and past articles on the Santa Cruz Ayurveda website or here.
Modern Scientific Qualities of Ginger
Ginger root contains a very high level (3.85 mmol/100 g) of total antioxidants, placing it second to pomegranate and certain berries. Antioxidants are widely known and proven to help fight oxidative stress, which creates disease in the body. In a study, extracts from ginger were found to inhibit oxidative stress pathways found in human Leukemia cells and hamster ovary cells (Kim et al. 2002). How mighty ginger is!
Ginger is also high in Manganese, an important mineral critical to bone formation, metabolic activity, blood sugar control, and PMS symptom reduction.
Coming back to ginger’s combating effects on inflammation… In one study, patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or general muscular discomfort reported relief from pain and swelling when using powdered ginger as a dietary supplement for 3 months to 2 years (Srivastava and Mustafa 1992).
Pro Tip: Want to know more about what scientists are discovering about Ayurvedic foods and herbs? Search any topic and its scientific research on Google Scholar!
Who Should Avoid It
Women who are pregnant should be mindful of how much ginger they consume and take in less (no more than 2g a day). On the other hand, it helps with nausea during pregnancy and with menstrual cramps.
People who have high blood pressure, peptic ulcers, gastric reflux, or skin inflammation should consume ginger with caution.
Ginger is not recommended for those with gallstones, as it can increase bile production and flow.
Deliciousness
Ginger can be consumed either dried or fresh. It’s a plus to any meal – slice some ginger in a stir-fry or dal, or dash some ginger powder in a soup at the very last minute. Another great way to take ginger is as a tea! 1/4 tsp of ginger in a cup of hot water with a splash of lemon and a dash of honey in the mornings. For a more warm and cozy ginger experience check out this Sunthi (Ginger) Chai recipe!
Sources
“Ayurvedic Medicine: The principles of Traditional Practice” by Sebatian Pole
https://www.muditainstitute.com/blog/ginger.html#:~:text=From%20an%20Ayurvedic%20perspective%2C%20ginger,prevents%20nausea%20and%20stop%20hiccups.
https://mapi.com/blogs/articles/dried-ground-ginger#:~:text=Ginger%20is%20also%20useful%20in,fresh%20lemon%20juice%20before%20meals.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1494322/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11790448/
7/10/2024
Article by Alysha Evans
